Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

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My first exposure to the Halo series was when Halo was revealed at the MacWorld conference back in the day. After it was shown, Bungie was snatched up by Microsoft and Halo was built for Microsoft’s new videogame console, the XBox.

It seems weird to say this and it’s gonna be hard to believe, but at the time I didn’t have any friends close by with an XBox. When I finally picked up Halo:CE it was for my Mac (an eMac at the time). I installed it and played for a while, making it through the main storyline and then played it online with some pals. At the time, I wasn’t very good at it , but I eventually got my share of kills and didn’t always finish each round last.

For me, multiplayer Slayer matches have never been as compelling as a well-told story. I remember playing the original Halo and really feeling like the game did a great job of having you explore this alien world that was much like our own. The world, the forerunner constructs, the alien spacecraft and alien holographic interfaces, the weapons, and the Flood (oh man, the Flood…) were just awesome. I felt that at the time it did an excellent job of telling a story through a gun barrel, something that even some of today’s games can’t do.

This year, Microsoft released Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Edition to celebrate the game’s 10 year command of popular culture. Halo has been on tees, mugs, toys, games, posters, and bottles of Mountain Dew. It’s been written about in novels and comics and used as a dramatic tool by michinima artists. It has influenced other games like Resistance for the PS3. It’s impact, all stemming from Halo: Combat Evolved, cannot be ignored.

So how does Microsoft go about celebrating this grand achievement – and more importantly, does it worth?

The graphics

343 Industries – the company picking up where Bungie left off when they left for new pastures – has stepped in and polished up the rough edges. To accomplish this they restyled the entire game. Everything has been brought up to a more modern look, while retaining the classic Halo look. A literal example of this can be seen when you press the Back button on the controller. After a second or two pause, the game unpauses and displays the original look and feel. If you prefer, you can play through the entire game like this, or you can swap in and out at any time to see what changes have taken place. To me, this is an awesome “before and after” feature that shows how far the series has come.

I wouldn’t say that the visual update is perfect however. I think Reach is the best Halo game in the series and does some great things with visuals. H:CE-AE’s graphics aren’t up to the quality of Reach IMO, but it ain’t bad, especially compared to the old look and feel.

New features

343 has also added some other features that make modern Halo games great, like Skulls (there are 14 in all that make the game harder or add awesome effects like Grunt Birthday), achievements (I’d completely forgotten that the original Halo didn’t have cheevos) and multiplayer modes.

Also included is basic Kinect integration that lets you say things like “reload” or “grenade” which will trigger the appropriate behaviors. There is a slight lag though and players who like their combat sharp and toasty will be more comfy flicking the reload button and grenade buttons manually. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary also includes terminals (ala Halo 3) that tells more of the back story in a sort of Marathon style.

So, does it worth?

What Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary isn’t is new. If you’ve owned and played the game before there may not be enough in this version to warrant a purchase. If like me, you’ve never owned a console version of the original Halo, or if you’re a collector, you’re not gonna want to pass this one up. The effects and updates make it a compelling package for a true fan. I’d say that for those players, this version is a good addition to your library.